A christmas Tale

It must have been a yuletide sign, a Christmas gift, although it wasn’t on my list. A least not this year, I have to blame it on the espresso. There I was standing under the awning in the rain. I was just waiting for that cup of drip. Coffee always calmed me down. I had other things on my mind, some damn Christmas Past trip. She was in front of me looking all fragile, a little frozen and soaked. I felt like Ebenezer the Bah humbug old scrooge in my peacoat. She was checking her list I think to see if I was naughty or nice. If she had only felt the coal in my socks she probably would have ran like Rudolph. The fact is I had been neither. I had spent the year stuck, stuck in the office, stuck in the elevator, stuck in traffic, stuck with a lawyer. I asked her if she wanted to go halves on a cab…she heard halves on the tab and replied my coffee is only three bucks. I step a bit closer and dipped down my shoulder and said “C-A-B. A cab”. Oh you mean a taxi, I’m so glad you asked me because I’m dripping wet. Yeah I know what you mean I’ve been through the wringer too. But that’s another story and we don’t have all night. She gave me a wink and then said” Maybe M-A-Y-B-E we do”.

.. ..My head started racing I got to the sidewalk and stuck my hand out. See I hate outs, last outs, down and outs, and definitely hand outs. A Radio cab pulled up just my luck, the cab with the Christmas lights. I think his name tag said Singh he was playing Indian/English Christmas songs. I was imagining a Bollywood version of A Christmas Story, with little Hajji getting a Red Rider B.B. gun. I didn’t know that they believed in Jesus and I wondered what he look like in the manger with a little dot on his head. Figured they probably bought into the whole nativity scene what with the spices and all. He and Miss Mocha chino were deeply entrenched in a conversation about holiday transportation. Fuck it, I just wished I had a sled she was talking to him about three wise men and he had a small pearl of advice. He said that this time of the year was hard for him what with his family in ....Bombay..... And that this time next year they would be on there way here, but for right now all he could do is just turn on the light in his cab. The light and the holiday spirit then would be in his cab during his whole shift.

Then something turned on that minute in my head. I looked at the girl then looked at St. Singh. I said pullover He asked why? I have a notion to do something good and let me tell you, brother that does not happen as often as it should. Not often at all actually. He pulled over in front of the Library handful of bums sought shelter in the marble doorways. I looked at the rain as it poured sideways and waded over to the cardboard castles. I pulled out my last fistful of cheddar. Happy New Year and Merry Xmas time now don’t go and spend every last dime. That looked at me like I was a nut straight of grandmas fruittcake, fact was at that moment I pretty sure I was. I turned back to the cab and it was gone.